


The Dedication

by ChelleBee53



Category: Charles Dickens - Fandom
Genre: Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24954964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChelleBee53/pseuds/ChelleBee53
Summary: This story takes place many years after the beloved work which inspired it.If you comment,please do not reveal the name of the book or the characters mentioned,although I daresay many readers will be able to guess!





	The Dedication

A large crowd had gathered for the re-naming of the Children's Surgical Hospital. A man in his early thirties  
stepped forward and stood in front of the large screen which was temporarily hiding the building.

"It is good and appropriate," he began, "that so many of you have come here today to honor the man in whose  
memory we are re-naming this hospital. As many of you know, he was one of our most generous supporters, not only  
financially, but also personally."

Many heads nodded in agreement.

I cannot tell you how many times this great-hearted man came here to visit the children, to read to them, to tell them  
stories," the speaker continued. "What you may _not_ know is that if it hadn't been for him, I would not be here. Not  
only would I not be a surgeon... and he was the one who made my studies possible... but I would not even be alive."

The members of the audience leaned forward.

"As a young child, I was crippled, and my condition was so serious that, without proper treatment, I would have died.  
But," said the young surgeon, "this wonderful man, for whom my own father worked, [murmurs from the crowd] and  
who was already paying him a better salary than many employers pay their employees, also paid for my treatment at  
this very hospital. This enabled my father to use his salary for many other things our family needed."

The speech was coming to an end.

"So today, it is my great privilege to dedicate this hospital to the memory of a man who was not only my father's  
employer, but also our entire family's mentor, and very dear friend."

The young surgeon gave a signal to two strong men, who stepped forward and removed the screen.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Dr. Timothy Cratchit concluded, "I give you The Ebenezer Scrooge Children's  
Surgical Hospital!"


End file.
